'Go to South Africa and say goodbye to Test cricket'

The warning to English cricketers was clear in the West Indies Cricket Board message to the Test and County Cricket Board: "Go to South Africa and say goodbye to Test cricket, or, don't go and therefore play Test cricket." And with it the threat of a split in international cricket - a dramatic black vs white division - became real as the seven full and 17 associate members of the International Cricket Conference (ICE) met at Lords at a specially convened meeting last fortnight.

But the meeting took the easy way out: Members decided "not to vote" on the West Indian resolution. The delegates instead decided to set up a select committee under ICE chairman Colin Cowdrey, to "consider" the resolution at a later date. So the Reliance Cup would go ahead without any hassles.

The resolution to ban from international cricket "anyone who makes or continues to make sporting contacts with South Africa" was originally to have been seconded by Zimbabwe. But when it was realised that only full members could propose and second alterations India stepped in as the seconders.

The proposal was received with anger and resentment by most English cricketers since one out of five among them has links with South Africa - either playing club cricket or coaching in schools there. A player earns at least 3,000 during a winter season, besides a free car, accommodation, living expenses and air fare. Not surprisingly both the English cricket authorities and the local media rallied behind the players.

As seconders of the resolution, India was in something of a fix. For, if the English authorities selected a player who had links with South Africa and India protested, then England could withdraw its team. In fact, every time there has been a controversy, English authorities have withdrawn their teams - the best known examples being South Africa's objections to coloured player Basil D'Olivera (1968), Guyana's objections to Robin Jackman (1981) and Bangladesh and Zimbabwe's objections to Mark Nicholas and others (1985).

But on the eve of the Lords meeting, N.K.P. Salve, chairman of the World Cup Organising Committee struck a confident note: "There is no reason why there should be any problems. Cricket is a game of gentlemen and we play cricket at our meetings." And so it turned out, albeit temporarily.

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